Creatine Combined With Resistance Exercise Boosts Strength In Older Adults

October 3, 2007

Creatine Combined With Resistance Exercise Boosts Strength In Older

Adults

If you are an 'older adult' and take creatine as well as doing

exercise you may well enjoy greater benefits than just doing the

exercise, say researchers from McMaster University, Canada. One of

the common consequences of growing older is an increase in body fat

and lowering of muscle mass, say the researchers.

You can slow down the loss of muscle mass by doing exercise, say the

scientists. Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, a professor of pediatrics and

medicine, and team carried out a study which showed that if you take

a combination of creatine monohydrate (CrM) and conjugated linoleic

acid (CLA) along with resistance exercise training the results will

be greater still.

You can read about this study in PLoS ONE, the peer-reviewed online

journal of the Public Library of Science, October 3rd issue.

This randomized double blind trial included 20 women and 19 men;

they were all at least 65 years old. The program of regular

resistance exercise training lasted six months. Some of the

participants received a daily supplement of creatine and linoleic

acid, while other received a placebo. Participants in both groups

did exactly the same exercise program.

The scientists report that all the participants experienced better

functional ability and strength as a result of the resistance

exercise training. However, those who took the CrM and CLA

combination enjoyed better results - they had better gains in muscle

endurance, superior increase in fat-free mass and a larger drop in

the percentage of body fat, compared to the placebo group.

Tarnopolsky said " This data confirms that supervised resistance

exercise training is safe and effective for increasing strength and

function in older adults and that a combination of CrM and CLA can

enhance some of the beneficial effects of training over a six month

period. "

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